Dead Horse Interchange

Seems like we don't have a book thread here.

I've recently read Dune for the first time and I'm about a third into the second book Dune Messiah.
I really enjoyed Dune. The second book apparently is the least liked in the series, or at least the "first trilogy" but so far I really like it.
Initially, I read Dune because I eventually wanted to watch the movie. But then again, I don't watch more than one movie a year these days and decided to just keep reading.

When it comes to science fiction, I like the short fiction of Alistair Reynolds, Robert Reed and Peter Watts.

Blindsight is free online and it's a fine little novel.

I dunno, I tend to like short novels only for horror. That said, I barely like novels at all. I most often like books about stuff more than novels.
Not just because most novels are shit, because of course they are, but because I rarely enjoy people telling me made up stories about made up stuff.
But I'm kinda obsessed with reading shit that's widely considered something like required reading and watching movies like that. I read less than I'd like to but I'm getting there. Skipping stuff I know I'd hate, of course. Dune was just in line and I am pleasantly surprised.

Kugelfisch wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 04, 2017 1:11 am

Seems like we don't have a book thread here.

I've recently read Dune for the first time and I'm about a third into the second book Dune Messiah.
I really enjoyed Dune. The second book apparently is the least liked in the series, or at least the "first trilogy" but so far I really like it.
Initially, I read Dune because I eventually wanted to watch the movie. But then again, I don't watch more than one movie a year these days and decided to just keep reading.

It is? I would've thought the Bene Gesserit-centred sequels are the most hated. The "original trilogy" of Dune, Dune Messiah and Children Of Dune is pretty solid.

But do check out the movie, it's awesome. That score by Toto is fantastic and FFS, it's David Lynch.

I'm getting the Foundation series by Issac Asimov for my birthday, i saw the first one was on sale on Indigo Chapters cyber monday sale and looked it up and since the books were cheap i got the lot, it's been quite a while since i got that hyped up for books

Rushy wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 04, 2017 5:15 am

Kugelfisch wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 04, 2017 1:11 am

Seems like we don't have a book thread here.

I've recently read Dune for the first time and I'm about a third into the second book Dune Messiah.
I really enjoyed Dune. The second book apparently is the least liked in the series, or at least the "first trilogy" but so far I really like it.
Initially, I read Dune because I eventually wanted to watch the movie. But then again, I don't watch more than one movie a year these days and decided to just keep reading.

It is? I would've thought the Bene Gesserit-centred sequels are the most hated. The "original trilogy" of Dune, Dune Messiah and Children Of Dune is pretty solid.

But do check out the movie, it's awesome. That score by Toto is fantastic and FFS, it's David Lynch.

I think he meant he meant from the books by Frank Herbert.
Hey Kugel, you reading only those by Frank Herbert?

Yeah, so did I. Frank wrote six books, and the last two focus on the Bene Gesserit as main characters.

I'll read all of them. Even those by Brian, just to have done it.

Rushy wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 04, 2017 5:15 am

It is? I would've thought the Bene Gesserit-centred sequels are the most hated.

It does seem that way. Even the intro by Brian Herbert, his son, states it. Brian's reasoning is that people likely expected more action and less politics and mind games at the time it came out. Apologetics aside, it's always hard to follow up a massive hit with anything. Frank Herbert didn't want to make Paul Astreides's life easy but it seems that readers of Dune at the time wanted that.
As far as I've read Dune Messiah, I can't agree. A hero without adversity isn't a hero and a political figure without huge interplays of backstabbing going on isn't realistic. I particularly like Paul's research into old earth and looking at other heralded heroes and comparing himself to them. Realising he dwarfed the number of people that were killed in their names easily but unlike them isn't seen as a monster but implying that he will be at some point.

PS: Even in the addendum to Dune it said that "Arrakeen was afflicted by a hero" and Paul wasn't happy with his impending future at any point. I have no idea why people were expecting a feel good power fantasy.

I'm kind of curious to read Legion after all of the Exorcist III discussion in the Movie thread.

The Exorcist and several things by Assimov are also on my list.